SunWiz

In the last years, warranties on solar panels have ballooned up to 40 years, but far from inspiring trust, these documents can end up eroding it. Described as a “hand grenade,” some installers claim manufacturers’ unrealistic installation manuals and poor claiming processes leave them in the lurch when equipment breaks. “I think its the biggest threat to the longevity of my business,” Mark Cavanagh, owner of Queensland-based MC Electrical tells pv magazine Australia.

The amount of solar installers offering storage solutions grew considerably in 2021 and promises to surge again this year, according to an annual survey by EUPD Research. The research centre has also released the top three 2021 brands for solar modules, inverters and storage in the Australian market, offering insights into where companies are buying equipment and which segments are seeing the most growth.

Australian deployment of battery storage remained steady in 2021, according to market research firm SunWiz, bringing cumulative installations to 1,089MWh.

SunWiz analysis has found the most popular brands of solar panel and inverters in the Australian market, as well as how their popularity shifted throughout the quarters. In total, 5.2 GW of solar was installed in Australia in 2021, putting the country’s cumulative tally at 26.9 GW.

After another year of record rooftop solar installations, and despite Covid-19 related lockdowns and federal political ineptitude on a level comparable to self-sabotage, Australia has soared past the three million mark and the numbers are only accelerating.

RedEarth Energy Storage has partnered with Rexel Australia to expand its nationwide distribution network as the demand for Australian-made energy storage systems grows despite the economic downturn.

Battery capacity in the distributed and large-scale sectors continues to grow, according the annual reckoning of the SunWiz oracle. Although still a complex proposition, for homeowners, battery potential is beginning to be utilised in the hundreds of megawatts by governments and utilities, with some interesting side hustles in the mid-sized energy-storage category.

Shanghai-based solar module manufacturer Sunman has warned government-imposed restrictions on the manufacture of glass in China could have an enormous effect on Australia’s booming solar industry.

230 Northern Territory businesses have already received their vouchers for Australia’s most generous energy storage subsidity, the NT’s Home and Business Battery Scheme. The scheme, which is still open for applications until November 30, offers grants of $6,00 to homeowners and business owners to install solar and battery storage, or complement an existing solar system with a battery.

Smart Energy is one of Australia’s most creative and fastest growing solar companies, largely thanks to a compassionate business plan which came into its own since the outbreak of covid-19. The various lockdowns and increased electricity bills have driven an accelerated uptick in residential solar and Smart Energy co-founder Elliot Haynes sat down with pv magazine Australia to talk about this unprecedented period.